A 2012 study explored the life experiences of a group using a qualitative approach. In depth interviews were conducted with 10 Victorians, aged between 51 and 84 years, who had lived with polio related or other impairments for at least 40 years. An inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. A relationship was found between the adaptive strategies which participants developed, as they moved through life phases and impairment stages.The implications of the emergence of a cyclical process of adaptation across the life course and particularly in respect of aging, delivery of aged care services and social workers in this sector are discussed.